An institution's graduation rate is the percentage of students who graduate from an institution. This shows students who began their studies as first-time, full-time degree- or certificate-seeking students and completed their degree or certificate within 150 percent of “normal time.” For schools that award predominantly bachelor’s (four-year) degrees, this is after six years, and for students seeking an associate’s (two-year) degree, this is after three years. For students seeking a certificate, the length of time depends on the certificate sought, for example, for a one-year certificate, after 18 months. Additional information can be found at https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/.

Loans are borrowed money that must be repaid with interest. Loans from the federal government typically have a lower interest rate than loans from private lenders. Find more information about federal loans at StudentAid.gov.

Median Borrowing refers to the median federal student loan debt of undergraduate borrowers who completed. This figure includes only federal loans; it excludes private student loans and parent PLUS loans. It also indicates the monthly payments that an average student would pay on that amount using a 10-year repayment plan. Additional information can be found at https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/.

An institution's repayment rate is the share of students who have repaid at least $1 of the principal balance on their federal loans within 3 years of leaving school. Additional information can be found at https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/.

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is the number calculated by the federal government that is used by a school to calculate how much financial aid a student is eligible to receive, if any. It’s based on the financial information provided on a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It’s not the amount of money the student or their family will have to pay for college, nor is it the amount of federal student aid they will receive. The Student Aid Index is reported to the student on their FAFSA Submission Summary.

The Student Loan Default Rate is the percentage of student borrowers – undergraduate and graduate – who have failed to repay their federal loans within three years of leaving a particular school. A low loan default rate could mean that the institution’s students are earning enough income after leaving school to successfully repay their loans.

The total Cost of Attendance (COA) is the total amount (not including grants and scholarships) that it will cost a student to go to school during an academic year. Total Cost of Attendance includes tuition and fees; housing and meals; and allowances for indirect expenses like books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and dependent care. For students attending less than half-time, the Total Cost of Attendance includes tuition and fees; an allowance for books, supplies, equipment and transportation; and dependent care expenses.

A student's total grants and scholarships are student aid funds that do not have to be repaid. Grants are often need-based, while scholarships are usually merit-based. Occasionally students may have to pay back part or all of a grant if, for example, they withdraw from school before finishing a semester.

Total Net Cost, also known as Net Price is an estimate of the actual costs that you or your family will need to pay during the 2024-2025 school year to cover education expenses at a particular school. Net cost is determined by taking the institution’s total cost of attendance and subtracting your grants and scholarships.

There are two types of Federal Direct PLUS Loans: Federal Direct PLUS Loans for Parent Borrowers, also known as Parent PLUS Loans and Federal Direct PLUS Loans for Graduate Students, also known as Graduate PLUS Loans.

Parents of dependent undergraduate students are eligible to apply to borrow under the Direct PLUS Loan Program for Parent Borrowers up to the cost of their child's attendance minus other financial assistance. Interest is a fixed rate. Students whose parents apply for these loans are required to complete the FAFSA.Loans are credit based. Students whose parents are denied for the Parent PLUS Loan may be eligible for an additional unsubsidized loan for the academic year. Learn more and apply at studentaid.gov.

Graduate students are eligible to apply to borrow under the Direct PLUS Loan program for Graduate Students up to their cost of attendance minus other financial assistance. Applicants for these loans are required to complete the FAFSA. Interest is a fixed rate. Loans are credit based. Learn more and apply at studentaid.gov.

A Federal Direct Subsidized Loan is offered on the basis of financial need. The federal government pays interest for the loan ("subsidizes" the loan) until a student graduates or stops attending half-time and during authorized periods of deferment.

Students may be eligible for Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loans by completing the FAFSA. File at fafsa.gov.

A student may be eligible if they are enrolled in a degree seeking program and at least 6 credits per semester (half-time) at Stockton University. Eligible students borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education.

To have these loans applied to a student's account, the student needs to accept them and complete Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note on studentaid.gov. Visit stockton.edu/fafsa for instructional videos guiding you through the process.

Students will begin repayment on the principle 6 months after they stop attending half time or graduate. When added to other financial aid resources, the loans amount may not exceed the cost of attendance at the time it is disbursed to the school.

If dependent, subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loan annual eligibility is as follows:

If independent, subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loan annual eligibility is as follows:

Learn more about Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans for undergraduate students at studentaid.gov.

Although the U.S. Department of Education is the lender of any type of Federal Direct Loan, they contract with outside companies to handle billing and other services on their education loans. Once loan monies are disbursed (sent to the school), students are assigned loan servicers.

Students can view their loan servicer information in their studentaid.gov account.

The Bill Estimator provides an easy way for current and prospective students to calculate their estimated costs for attendance at Stockton University.

Utilize the Bill Estimator on the Bursar's webpage.

A Federal Student Aid ID, also known as an FSA ID is your username and password to log into your studentaid.gov account, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), complete loan requirements and more.

Parents will need to create an FSA ID to complete their sections of the FAFSA, apply for a Parent Direct PLUS Loan and complete loan requirements.

The NJ Alternative Application for Financial Aid is the application for NJ Dreamers to be considered for state financial aid programs. Institutions may also use NJ Alternative Application data to determine eligibility for instutional aid programs.

Students apply at hesaa.org each year.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA is a student's application for all federal, state and instutional need-based financial aid programs. U.S. Cirizens and eligible non-citizens should complete their FAFSA each year at fafsa.gov.

The New Jersey Financial Aid Management System, referred to as NJFAMS is the system that the State of New Jersey's Higher Education Student Assistance Authority uses to store FAFSA and NJ Alternative Application data and calculate a student's state financial aid eligibility. All New Jersey residents should create an account at njfams.hesaa.org to review their state financial aid eligibility and outstanding requirements to determine eligibility, if any. Students who are required to submit additional documentation will use their NJFAMS account to do so.

The Office of Financial Aid will send students their financial aid offer notification once the university receives their FAFSA or NJ Alternative Application and determines their eligibility for financial aid. Offer Notifications go over the student's Estimated Cost of Attendance, their finanial aid offer and how to cover any gap between costs and their financial aid.

Federal student aid programs are based on the concept that it is primarily the student and their family’s responsibility to pay for their education. Dependent students are required to report parental information on the FAFSA; however, some student situations will require extra discretion in determining their ability to provide this information.

Our office provides the opportunity for students to appeal their FAFSA Dependency Status by submitting documentation of their situation for a Dependency Status Review. Learn more at stockton.edu/appeals.

An independent student is not required to report parent information on the FAFSA. Independent students will report their and their spouse's information, if they are married.

A student's answers to the questions on the FAFSA determine whether they are a dependent or independent student for finanical aid purposes; therefore,  students cannot choose their dependency status. See the list of questions on studentaid.gov.

Not living with parents, not being financially supported by parents or not being claimed by them on tax forms does not make a student an independent student for purposes of applying for federal student aid.

In addition, students can’t be considered independent of their parents just because their parents refuse to help them with the process.

Federal student aid programs are based on the concept that it is primarily the student and their family’s responsibility to pay for their education. Dependent students are required to report parental information on the FAFSA; however, some student situations will require extra discretion in determining their ability to provide this information.

Our office provides the opportunity for students to appeal their FAFSA Dependency Status by submitting documentation of their situation. Learn more at stockton.edu/appeals.

The FAFSA uses your family’s annual income from two years ago to project an estimate of how much a student's family can afford to contribute toward their expenses while they attend college. This projection assumes that family income is relatively stable over the course of time; however, this may not always be the case. Federal law allows authorized officials in our office to make certain adjustments to some of the income data reported on the FAFSA so that it accurately reflects their family’s situation.

Learn about eligibility and how to submit an income adjustment appeal.

The Stockton Promise covers 100% of the gap between federal, state and institutional financial aid funds (grants & scholarships) and the cost of tuition & fees for qualifying students who are in their first or second year of study (have 59 or fewer earned credits) towards their first bachelors degree and whose family AGI is $65,000 or less.

See the breakdown below:

Total tuition & fees bill minus any federal/state grants and scholarships a student is eligible for minus any institutional grant and/or scholarship monies they have been offered = tuition & fees balance that the Stockton Promise will cover.

Visit stockton.edu/promise to learn more about eligibility requirements 

Eligibility for financial aid is dependent upon several factors, including enrollment. See below for an enrollment guide detailing the number of credits in which a student must be confirmed attending to be considered full-time, 3/4 time and half-time.

The Garden State Guarantee (GSG) is a last-dollar program created to assist New Jersey residents in affording the cost of their education. The GSG is comprised of three tiers to assist students in affording the cost of their education.

• Tier 1: The GSG guarantees that the net price of tuition and fees shall be $0 for students meeting eligibility criteria with an AGI of $0 to $65,000 in the students’ third and fourth years of study toward a bachelor’s degree.
• Tier 2: The GSG guarantees that the net price of tuition and fees shall be no more than $7,500 for the year ($3,750 per semester) for students meeting eligibility criteria with an AGI of $65,001 to $80,000 in the students' third and fourth years of study towards a bachelors degree.
• Tier 3: The GSG guarantees that the net price of tuition and fees shall be no more than $10,000 for the year ($5,000 per semester) for students meeting eligibility criteria with an AGI of $80,001 to $100,000 in the students' third and fourth years of study towards a bachelors degree.

Visit stockton.edu/gsg to learn more about eligibility requirements.

A Dependent Student will report theirs and their parent's information on the FAFSA.

A student's answers to the questions on the FAFSA determine whether they are a dependent or independent student for finanical aid purposes; therefore,  students cannot choose their dependency status. See the list of questions on studentaid.gov.

A Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a person's signed agreement to repay their loan(s). Students/Parents will need to complete an MPN before the U.S. Department of Education will lend to them. An MPN is typically valid for ten years. If students borrow multiple Federal Loans within ten years, they should only have to complete one MPN. Students will have to complete separate MPN's for undergraduate and graduate loans as well as graduate PLUS loans. Parents will need to complete their own MPN for Parent PLUS loans.

Learn more at studentaid.gov.

If students received a subsidized, unsubsidized or PLUS loan under the Direct Loan Program or the FFEL Program, they must complete Exit Counseling each time they:

• Drop below half-time enrollment
• Graduate
• Leave school

Exit Counseling provides important information regarding a students rights and responsibilities to the federal loans they borrowed while attending school. It also provides examples of the various repayment plans available and loan forgiveness options for certain professions. It is an important and valuable tool to prepare students for loan repayment success.

Students must complete Exit Counseling no more than 50 days prior to their graduation date. Our office will be notified electronically once a student has successfully completed the module. This process usually takes 1-2 business days.

If a student completes their Exit Counseling during a previous term of enrollment, they must complete a new Exit Counseling no more than 50 days prior to their graduation date.

Learn more at studentaid.gov.

Entrance Counseling is an electronic introduction to borrowing course. Students will need to complete Entrance Counseling before the U.S. Department of Education will lend to them. Entrance Counseling is typically valid for several years as long as students consecutively borrow loans. If a student borrows loans one year, not the next and then goes to borrow again the following year, they may have to complete a new Entrance Counseling.

Students will have to complete separate Entrance Counseling courses for undergraduate and graduate loans as well as graduate PLUS loans.

Learn more at studentaid.gov.

An Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is not awarded on the basis of need. Students will be charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full. 

Students may be eligible for Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loans by completing the FAFSA. File at fafsa.gov.

A student may be eligible if they are enrolled in a degree seeking program and at least 6 credits per semester (half-time) at Stockton University. Eligible students borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education.

To have these loans applied to a student's account, the student needs to accept them and complete Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note on studentaid.gov. Visit stockton.edu/fafsa for instructional videos guiding you through the process.

Students will begin repayment on the principle 6 months after they stop attending half time or graduate. When added to other financial aid resources, the loans amount may not exceed the cost of attendance at the time it is disbursed to the school.

If dependent, subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loan annual eligibility is as follows:

If independent, subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loan annual eligibility is as follows:

Learn more about Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans for undergraduate students at studentaid.gov.

Private student loans are non-federal government loans offered by private lending institutions as an additional source of funds for higher education. Stockton University does not have a preferred lender arrangement, so we cannot recommend any one lender over another.

Students can borrow from any lender; however, we do provide students with a list of lenders Stockton students have borrowed from within the last three years. Learn more and view the list on our Private Education Loans page.

The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, referred to as HESAA is the New Jersey state agency that determines eligibility for New Jersey State Financial Aid Programs, including the State Tuition Aid Grant (TAG), the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program and the Garden State Guarantee (GSG).

Learn more about HESAA and New Jersey State Aid Programs at hesaa.org.

Undocumented students are considered NJ Dreamers if they meet all of the below criteria:

• Attended a New Jersey high school for at least three (3) years
• Graduated from a New Jersey high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in New Jersey
• Registered with Selective Service (male students only)
• Are able to file an affidavit stating that you have filed an application to legalize your immigration status or will file an application as soon as you are eligible to do so

Eligible New Jersey Dreamers, who attend an eligible NJ institution of higher education should complete the NJ Alternative Application for Financial Aid each year to determine their eligibility for state financial aid programs including the Tuition Aid Grant Program (TAG), the Educational Opportunity Fund Program (EOF), the Garden State Guarantee (GSG) the New Jersey Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJSTARS) Programs and the Governor's Urban Scholarship (GUS).

NJ Dreamers are considered for institutional scholarship and aid programs including first-year, transfer and foundation scholarships and the Stockton Promise. NJ Dreamers could also be eligible for private scholarship opportunities.

An unofficial withdrawal occurs when a student does not officially withdraw from the university, but rather stops attending all courses. Anyone who is considered to have unofficially withdrawn from the university will have their financial aid adjusted based on the last date they attended. This adjustment could result in a decrease in financial aid, which means that the student could end up owing money to the university. It is always important to contact the Office of Financial Aid before making any decisions regarding enrollment, including withdrawing from and not attending courses.

Learn more about the impact of an unofficial withdrawal on financial aid.

Students who completely, officially withdraw from the university, declare a leave of absence, unofficially withdraw, stop attending courses or earn all non-passing grades during an academic semester during an academic semester will have their aid adjusted up through the 60% point of the term. This means that some financial aid funds may have to be returned to federal and state governments when a student withdraws. This process is called Return of Title IV and is required by law.

Aid is disbursed at the beginning of the semester with the expectation that the student will successfully complete the enrollment term and thereby earn the aid that was disbursed. If the student withdraws or stops attending their courses before the 60% point, our office must determine how long the student attended and how much of the aid was earned. Unearned aid must be returned to the aid programs. A formula established by the federal government is used to calculate this amount. Professors are required to record the last date of attendance for each student, so that this calculation can be made.

In most cases this will result in a balance owed to the University. After funds are returned, any balance will need to be paid to the Bursar.

Institutional policies regarding refunds differ from financial aid policies. Visit stockton.edu/bursars to learn more about institutional refunds.

Financial Aid disbursement is payment of financial aid funds from sources, including the federal or state governments or a private student loan lender to the university.

For example, students who are offered and accept Federal Direct Loans show a credit on their bill once they complete loan requirements, but this does not mean that Stockton has received the funds from the federal government. It is only when the student's enrollment is verified that our office certifies loans that authorizes the federal government to disburse (send) the money to the school. This is the process for most aid programs.

The Office of Financial Aid informs students by email each semester that Stockton University has received the funds from their federal/state/private sources of financial aid and will be applying these funds to their accounts.

Students who have a credit balance on their bill are issued a refund either through a check in the mail or by EFT for those who have signed up for direct deposit.

If students accepted federal student loans, they will also receive email notifications from the Department of Education notifying them of the name of their loan servicer. Loan servicer information can also be found by logging on to studentaid.gov.

Before financial aid is disbursed, the University must be able to document that a student has begun attendance in the courses for which they will receive funds. This process is called Confirmation of Academic Engagement. We receive this information from faculty members after the add/drop period each semester.

Each of a student's instructors will confirm their attendance or participation in an academic activity. It is imperative that students respond if the instructor calls their name during rollcall to confirm their attendance and that they participate in academic activities in each of their courses.

Federal direct loans are offered at the beginning of an academic year and are based on expected full time enrollment. Per federal regulations, institutions are required to prorate loans for graduating undergraduate students when their final period of enrollment is less than a full academic year. This means, that graduating undergraduate students who only attend one semester of the academic year will have their federal direct loans prorated (adjusted) based on enrollment. This most often affects students who graduate in December.

Learn more about Federal Direct Loan Proration.

Once a student files the FAFSA, they may be randomly selected by the U.S. Department of Education, for a review of their financial aid eligibility and/or financial aid application. Stockton University is required by federal regulations to verify all information required by the U.S Department of Education as well as the information reported on the application of each student selected.

In order to comply with these regulations, we may need to collect additional documentation. Students should monitor the financial aid requirement section on the financial aid tab of the goStockton portal as well as their goStockton email for updates.

Students are responsible for completing these requirements as soon as possible in order to receive aid. Financial aid will not be processed until all requirements are completed. Any student who does not comply with verification requirements and complete the process within the academic year for which aid would be offered will not be eligible for financial aid.

Once all requirements are completed and a review is finalized, student’s whose aid is adjusted due to this process will receive a revised financial aid offer notification within 7-10 business days of the completed and processed review.

Learn more at stockton.edu/verification.

Just like the U.S. Department of Education randomly selects students for Federal Verification, the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) can also select random students for a review process called verification. If a student is selected for State Verification, they will see outstanding items in their NJFAMS To Do List. Be sure to log on to your NJFAMS account regularly to check your To Do List for outstanding requirements.

*Please Note: Any student who does not comply with state verification requirements and complete the process by October 1 for the fall semester and March 1 for the spring semester will not be eligible for state financial aid programs.

Learn more at stockton.edu/verification.

To receive financial aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward the attainment of a degree. Our office evaluates student academic records annually in June. Students enrolled in summer classes will be evaluated in August. This evaluation will include all prior terms of attendance, including periods in which the student did not receive financial aid. Additionally, the completion ratio test (PACE) includes accepted transfer credits.

At the time of each evaluation, a student who has not achieved the required GPA, or who is not successfully completing his or her educational program at the required pace, is no longer eligible to receive financial aid. However, students who have experienced extenuating circumstances beyond their control may appeal to be reinstated.

Learn more about Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

The Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) is a part-time employment program for students with demonstrated financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Funding is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis allowing students to earn monies to help pay postsecondary educational expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student's course of study. Work-study aid is money that students earn by working.